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Thompson Pump makes move in Mississippi
Thompson Pump & Manufacturing Co. Inc. moved its southern Mississippi branch location from Pass Christian, Miss., to a larger facility in Biloxi, Miss. The new facility, with 4,000 sq. ft. situated on two acres near corridor I-10, is one of 21 Thompson Pump branches nationwide. The new facility will also allow Thompson Pump to better accommodate customers in southern Mississippi and Alabama. Keep Reading
Liebherr names new president
Peter Mayr was appointed president of Liebherr Construction Equipment Co., effective July 1. Mayr took on a variety of roles within Liebherr over his 12 years, including his most recent position as managing director for Liebherr-Great Britain Ltd. (LGB) and Liebherr Rental Ltd. (LRL). Mayr began his Liebherr career in 2001 working in Austria, where he was responsible for the sales support of dozers and crawler loaders in Spain. He later transferred to England and was responsible for dozers and crawler loaders in Great Britain and Ireland. From these positions, he was promoted to national sales manager for all of LGB's earthmoving products, before progressing to general manager and later managing director of LGB's and LRL's earthmoving machines. Photo: Peter Mayr Keep Reading
Index slips despite new institutional building plans
The Dodge Momentum Index, a monthly measure of the first report for nonresidential building projects in planning, receded in June after six consecutive monthly increases. The index slipped 1.5 percent to 113.8, down from a revised May reading of 115.5. According to McGraw-Hill Construction, a sharp increase in plans for institutional buildings offset a drop in commercial development in June. New plans for institutional buildings rose 6.5 percent, bolstered by several amusement-related projects. The largest institutional project to enter the planning phase in June was a $400 million casino project in Liberty, N.Y. Commercial building, meanwhile, fell back 8.5 percent compared to May. Declines in both office and retail-related development weighed on overall commercial building plans. Keep Reading
McLanahan expanding into India, surrounding markets
McLanahan Corp. formed an overseas joint venture with India-based Nawa Engineers and Consultants Private Ltd., providing intellectual property in an agreement in which Nawa will provide sales, manufacturing and procurement. The joint venture company, McLanahan Nawa Engineers Private Ltd., will serve India, Pakistan, Nepal, Burma, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. According to a press release, Nawa employs 260 people across two offices and three manufacturing facilities in and around Hyderabad, India. Nawa's core products include crushers, screens and classifiers. Ron Thakurta will represent McLanahan's interest in the joint venture company, serving as director. Thakurta will spend significant time in India and work closely with customers for their processing needs. Keep Reading
Notes from Caterpillar’s Quarry Days
Caterpillar hosted customers at its second Asia Pacific Quarry Days in Japan. A handful of aggregates trade magazines from around the world, including Pit & Quarry, were also invited to participate in classroom-style presentations and demonstrations about Cat's latest equipment and technologies. Demonstrations took place at the Cat Demonstration Center in Chichibu, Japan, where all Quarry Days participants were given the opportunity to board equipment and ask questions to company reps. Proper loading techniques were among the practices demonstrated and discussed in Chichibu. Jason Hurdis, a senior market professional for quarry and aggregates at Cat, stressed a need to complete loads in two minutes or less and achieve cycle times of about 22 seconds between loader and haul truck. Hurdis also noted there's no need for wheel loader operators to have buckets fully raised while they're waiting for haul trucks to arrive. "You could blow a hydraulic hose waiting for the haul truck to arrive," Hurdis said. Haul truck operator performance is key to production, as well. Other Cat representatives… Keep Reading
Vulcan unloads Wisconsin quarries
Vulcan Materials Co. sold its final four quarries in Wisconsin as part of its strategic long-term plan, reports the Birmingham Business Journal. Three quarries – in the cities of Franklin, Dousman and Racine – were sold to Payne & Dolan Inc. A fourth quarry in Sussex, Wis., was sold to Lannon Stone Products Inc. Keep Reading
Charlotte mayor named secretary of transportation
Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, N.C., was sworn in as the nation's 17th secretary of transportation during a private ceremony at the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) headquarters. Foxx was confirmed for the position in a unanimous U.S. Senate vote. "Safety will remain our top priority at DOT," Foxx wrote in a message to DOT employees. "At the same time, I will work to improve the efficiency and performance of our current transportation system while building the infrastructure we need for future generations." Before taking the position, Foxx served Charlotte as mayor for four years. According to a press release, he made transportation investments the centerpiece of Charlotte's job creation and economic recovery efforts. The investments included extending the LYNX light-rail system, expanding Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and starting the Charlotte Streetcar project. Photo: Anthony Foxx Keep Reading
Sany names dealer for key Texas areas
Harris County Rentals was named a Sany America excavator dealer in Texas, covering San Antonio, Austin and the oil fields area. Keep Reading
ContiTech purchases conveyor belt manufacturer
ContiTech Conveyor Belt Group acquired conveyor belt manufacturer Legg Co. Inc., based in Halstead, Kan. The acquisition gives ContiTech its own production facilities in the United States, as well as an established sales network in the U.S. and Canada. Keep Reading
